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Dry September cuts winter crop prospects by 15pc: ABARES

COMMODITY forecaster, ABARES, has dramatically cut its Australian winter crop production estimate for 2018/19 to 28.22 million tonnes (Mt), down 15 per cent on the September forecast of 33.2Mt.

The revision follows a deterioration in winter crop prospects during early spring following unfavourable seasonal conditions in most cropping regions.

ABARES executive director, Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds, said a lack of timely rainfall in early spring and frost events were key risks to winter crop prospects.

“Unfortunately, September rainfall was very much below average in many cropping regions and there were significant frost events in southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia,” he said.